1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to oil and gas production and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for environmental protection from, and remediation of, production materials and processes.
2. The Background Art
The production and transportation of petroleum resources, including oil and natural gas, often involves the introduction of emissions of substances considered pollutants into the natural environment. Often the production areas are in locations regarded as being particularly environmentally sensitive. Sources of pollutants include engines, heaters, flares, road surfaces, and production fluids themselves. Production water often contains dissolved solids (e.g., salts) that make it unsuitable for ordinary beneficial (e.g., agricultural, culinary, etc.) use or release directly into the environment. Hauling water to and from the production site usually requires extensive and expensive trucking over roads through environmentally sensitive areas. Similarly, large amounts of waste heat from numerous engines, heaters, burners, flares, or combinations thereof are released into that same sensitive environment. Any company or state with extensive fossil fuel reserves will have much at stake over these issues.
What is needed is a system and method to address the issues of effectively mitigating environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel development and production.